Performers, Cast and Crew:

Entertainment Reviews:

New York Times - 03/25/1983
"…A complete crowd-pleaser….The film really flies…"

Variety - 03/23/1983
"...Ross directs this first rate cast with great assurance and each one of them is a delight..."

Product Description:

Nora McPhee (Marsha Mason), a single mom raising a teenage son (Matthew Broderick), is barely able to make ends meet. Things change when Nora's estranged dad, Max Dugan (Jason Roberts), suddenly reenters her life, offering her a suitcase full of money in exchange for a renewed relationship with her and his grandson. This becomes a moral dilemma for Nora, because she has suspicions about the money's origins, as do some gangsters, and her new policeman boyfriend (Donald Sutherland).

Plot Synopsis:

MAX DUGAN RETURNS is a touching family portrait starring Marsha Mason as Nora McPhee, a single mother and teacher struggling to raise her teenage son, Michael (Matthew Broderick), after the death of her husband. Late one night a stranger enters her house with a suitcase full of money. It's her father, Max Dugan (Jason Robards), who abandoned her and her mother 26 years earlier. Max wants to help Nora and Michael get by in exchange for a renewed relationship with a family he barely knows. Trying to buy their love, he lavishes the McPhees with gifts, including a new car to replace Nora's stolen vehicle. This raises the suspicions of Nora's boyfriend, Brian (Donald Sutherland), a straitlaced police officer who had replaced Nora's car with a motorcycle. Questions arise as to the origins of Max Dugan's fortune, so Nora must decide if she is willing to stick by her father after all these years or if she will abandon him, like he did to her, now that he finally needs her. Herb Ross directs, once again getting the most out of a very talented, very appealing cast.

Plot Keywords:

Family Interaction |
Scams And Cons |
Theatrical Release

Production Notes:

Matthew Broderick and Kiefer Sutherland made their film debuts in this film.